Around The World in 195 Days, Six Hours - By Bike

A Scottish man became the fastest to cycle around the world yesterday when he arrived in Paris after nearly seven months on the road. Mark Beaumont, 25, completed the trip in 195 days and six hours - beating the current record of 276 days.

After almost seven months of dodging drivers, sleeping rough and struggling to get enough to eat, Beaumont is expected to enter the Guinness Book of Records, once the feat is verified.

Carrying 80kg of gear, including a tent, on a £2,500 ($5,000) road bike, Beaumont beat the previous record by 81 days. He said the last two days on the road had been hard, but "about 40km from Paris the adrenaline kicked in and I flew up the last hills".

His trip took him through 20 countries on a route which included Pakistan, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Holland last August took four hours; Germany three days. He endured floods and road rage and was knocked off his bike in Louisiana in the US by a motorist who drove through a red light.

At one point, also in the US, he found himself at a motel which turned out to be full of crack addicts, who stole his wallet and BBC camera. But once he was back in the saddle he cycled through four US states - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida - in two days.